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Rhode Island Education Circulars 

Fire Drills in the Schools 
of Rhode Island 




COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND 
191Z 



Rhode Island Education Circulars 

Fire Drills in the Schools 
of Rhode Island 




COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



STATE OF RHODE ISLAND 
191a 



A 



V 



LAW GOVERNING FIRE DRILLS IN THE SCHOOLS OF RHODE 

ISLAND 



CHAPTER 797, PUBLIC LAWS, 1912 

An Act in Amendment of and in Addition to Chapter 68 of the 
General Laws, Entitled "Of Teachers." 

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 

Section 1. Chapter 68 of the General Laws, entitled "Of 
Teachers," is hereby amended by adding thereto the following 
sections to be numbered consecutively 9, 10, 11 and 12, and to read 
as follows: 

"Sec. 9. It shall be the duty of the principal or other person in 
charge of every public school or private school or educational institu- 
tion within the State, having more than twenty-five pupils, to instruct 
and train the pupils by means of drills, so that they may in a sudden 
emergency be able to leave the school building in the shortest possible 
time and without confusion or panic. Such drills or rapid dismissals 
shall be held at least once each month. 

" Sec. 10. Neglect by any principal or any person in charge of any 
public or private school or educational institution to comply with the 
provisions of this article shall be a misdemeanor, punishable by a 
fine not exceeding fifty dollars. 

"Sec. 11. It shall be the du'ty 'of the commissioner of public 
schools to formulate a uniform fire code or drill tactics to be used in 
all schools in accordance with the two preceding sections, and to fur- 
nish a sufficient number of copies thereof for use in all schools. 

"Sec. 12. The provisions of Sections 9 and 10 shall not apply to 
colleges or universities or to evening schools." 

Sec. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage, and all acts 
and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. 



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SFP "21 '914 



4 






FIRE DRILLS IN SCHOOLS 



The various school buildings throughout the State differ greatly 
in size, height, number of exits, width of stairways and number of 
rooms, but the purpose of a fire drill will be accomplished in any 
building if the following general rules are observed: 

1. The pupils at all times should pass into and out of the room 
and the building in an orderly manner. 

2. Each teacher should practice with his pupils to see how 
quickly they can leave the room in an orderly manner by the nearest 
exit. After he has found the most orderly and the quickest way of 
passing, he should then be ready to act in harmony with the principal 
of the building and follow his directions explicitly. 

3. There should be a gong or bell in each building to sound as a 
signal for the drill. The exits to be used may be determined by the 
number of strokes on the gong or by the ringing of the bell. 

4. The code of signals for each exit should be placed permanently 
in a conspicuous place on the blackboard in each room, and the pupils 
should be drilled to respond instantly to the signals without direction 
or command from the teacher. 

5. The teachers on the lower floor should have the pupils pass 
promptly and rapidly to make room for those on the floors above. 

6. Great care should be exercised to prevent crowding on the 
stairways. The width of the stairways should determine whether the 
pupils should pass in single file or two or more abreast. 

7. Provision should be made not only for clearing the building 
when all the pupils are in the study rooms, but when they are scattered 
throughout the building in small rooms for recitations. Be prepared 
for prompt action at any hour or minute of the day. 



4 FIRE DRILLS IN SCHOOLS 

8. It should be the duty of someone to see that no child is left in 
any closet or dressing room opening out of the schoolroom. 

9. A record, giving the hour of the drill, the number of children 
and teachers in the building, the time occupied in the drill, and the 
number of exits used should be filed on a blank provided for that 
purpose. 

10. The entire matter involves careful planning and prompt and 
systematic execution on the part of the principal and the teachers 
as no one knows when the efficiency of the drill may be tested. 



CODE OF SIGNALS 



For a building of one room and for a building of two rooms where 
both rooms use the same exits, two strokes on the gong, repeated 
twice, indicate that all exits are to be used; one stroke on the gong, 
followed after a short interval by two strokes, this signal repeated 
twice, indicates that the exit or exits at the right hand side of the 
room, as the pupil sits at his desk, are to be used; two strokes on the 
gong, followed after a short interval by one stroke, this signal repeated 
twice, indicates that the exit or exits on the left hand side of the 
room, as the pupil sits at his desk, are to be used. 

Code of Signals. — Vertical lines indicate strokes on the gong, and 
horizontal lines indicate intervals between strokes: 11-11-11, all 
exits; 1-11-1-11-1-11, exits on right side; 11-1-11-1-11-1, exits 
on left side. 

II 

For buildings of three or more rooms, with front and side entrances, 
two strokes on the gong, repeated twice, indicate that all exits are to 
be used; one stroke on the gong, followed after a short interval by 
two strokes, this signal repeated twice, indicates that the exit or exits 
at the right hand side of the building, as the pupil faces the front en- 



Jtre drills in SCHOOLS 5 

trance, are to be used; two strokes of the gong, followed after a short 
interval by one stroke, this signal repeated twice, indicates that the 
exit or exits on the left hand side of the building, as the pupil faces 
the front entrance, are to be used. 

Code of Signals. — Vertical lines indicate strokes on the gong, and 
horizontal lines indicate intervals between strokes. 11-11-11, all 
exits. 1-11-1-11-1-11, exits on right side. 1 1—1—1 1—1—11—1, exits 
on left side. 

Ill 

For buildings of four or more rooms, with front, side and rear exits, 
two strokes on the gong, repeated twice, indicate that all exits are to 
be used; one stroke on the gong, followed after a short interval by two 
strokes, this signal repeated twice, indicates that the exits on one end 
of the building are to be used; two strokes on the gong, followed after 
a short interval by one stroke, this signal repeated twice, indicates 
that the exits at the opposite end of the building are to be used; three 
strokes on the gong, followed after a short interval by one stroke, this 
signal repeated twice, indicates that the exits at the rear entrance are 
to be used; one stroke on the gong, followed after a short interval by 
three strokes, this signal repeated twice, indicates that the front en- 
trances are to be used. 

Code of Signals. — Vertical lines indicate strokes on the gong, and 
horizontal lines indicate intervals between strokes. 11-11-11, all 
exits. 1-11-1-11-1-11, exits at one end. 1 1—1—1 1—1—1 1—1, exits 
at opposite end. 111-1-111-1-111-1, exits at the rear entrances. 
1-111-1-111-1-111, exits at the front entrance. 



SUGGESTIONS 



Teachers should not be satisfied with the results of fire drills in 
their schools until order and precision similar to that practiced in 
military organizations is secured and maintained. The drill should 
be practiced so frequently that no confusion will appear in the ranks 



6 FIRE DRILLS IN SCHOOLS 

when passing, and that no pupil will be uncertain as to what direction 
he is to take or when he is to start. 

From recorded experience in this connection one may be justified 
in assuming that children will do in arj emergency just what they have 
been trained to do in preparation for such an event. If they are 
drilled to get their clothing before leaving the building when the 
signal is given for a drill, they will get their clothing, probably, if 
the signal was for a fire. If they are allowed to go into the building 
after a drill, without orders to do so, they may enter the building 
when there is a fire, unless the effects of the fire are visible. Other 
possibilities of a similar character should be considered by teachers 
when they prepare and execute the drill. 



FORM OF REPORT THAT MAY BE USED 

Town of 

§chool Department 

Report of Fire Drill held at School 

19 

Teachers and Pupils present in Rooms 

Time of Alarm M. Exits used 

Building cleared in minutes. 

Remarks: 

Principal 



A report should be sent to the Superintendent on the day of the 
drill. 



Gaylord Bros* 

Makers 

Syracuse, N. Y. 

PAT, JAN. 21,1908 



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